Petition to Save Sportfishing Doubles to More Than 12,000 Anglers

San Diego CA— The Sportfishing Association of California has released a video of a California Air Resources Board (CARB) online workshop where regulators acknowledge that it is unlikely that wood and fiberglass boats will be able to comply with proposed engine emission regulations and as a result boats will be removed from service. This is a stunning admission since over 80% of sportfishing and whale watching boats are constructed of wood and fiberglass.
“Before the owners of sportfishing and whale watching boats can recover their financial losses from the COVID-19 pandemic, the Newsom Administration proposed draconian regulations that will remove hundreds of family operated boats from service,” said Ken Franke, president of the Sportfishing Association of California. “Given that the regulations were drafted during the COVID-19 pandemic and without any in-person public workshops, boat owners are learning for the first time that their days at sea are numbered and their livelihoods may be lost. Removing sportfishing and whale watching boats from California ports will have a devastating economic impact on coastal communities that depend on tourism for jobs.”
According to a study commissioned by CARB, the California State University Maritime Academy concluded that engines that meet the proposed standards do not exist and, in the alternative, “… treatment equipment (modifications) alone significantly impacts the vessel’s stability.”
If the regulations are adopted in November, boat owners will have to decide as soon as January 2023 whether they can afford new steel vessels or go out of business. Unlike automobiles, the regulations will go into effect before the lifespan of boats or engines expire.
Grassroots Movement Underway
Since announcing in late July that over 5,000 anglers (press release) signed a petition urging Governor Gavin Newsom to intervene, the petition has more than doubled in less than two weeks to over 12,000. Petition flyers are posted at most boat landings, extending from San Diego to the Oregon border.
Additionally, a coalition is forming that includes organizations that represent sportfishing, boating, marina operators, small business and tourism. In June, the Governor announced an economic plan to restore half of the 1.2 million tourism and hospitality jobs lost during the pandemic. Prior to the pandemic, recreational fishing contributed $5.6 billion a year and supported nearly 40,000 California jobs.
“We are pleading with the Governor to protect our boats from being removed from service,” said Franke.